Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

CITES AUSTRALIAN VALUE AS MARKET "AS A TANGIBLE EXPRESSION" of the] gratitude of Australian troops for tht \ entertainment films of the Amerieati ! motion picture industry, a personal! letter from their commander, General; Sir Thomas Blarney, was delivered' Tuesday in New York by F. McNeill' Ackland, Australian distribution leader,\ to Will H. Hays, right. Distributors' Unit Official Brings Letter Voicing A rmy A ppreciation Australia is, and will continue to be, a natural outlet for American product due to the similarity in the popular appeal of pictures in that country and the United States. The outlook for the post-war period is "excellent" since the war and the consequent stimulated interest in things American has strengthened the bonds of mutual interest between the two lands. These views were expressed Monday by F. McNeill Ackland, board chairman of the Motion Picture Distributors' Association of Australia, now visting the U. S. to convey hi^ country's thanks for America's contribution oi free films to the Australian armed forces. Mr. Ackland met the trade press at an interview in the offices of the Motion Picture Producers and -Distributors of America, New York. Mr. Ackland brought v/ith him a letter to Will Hays, MPPDA president, from General Sir Thomas Blarney, commander-in-chief of the Australian forces, in which he expressed the gratitude of the Australian Army for the supplies and help extended by the U. S. industry since 1939. Pronounced Effect on Morale "From my personal observations and the reports of my staff officers, I am able to observe the pronounced ef¥ect upon morale through the exhibition of entertainment films to our troops, especially in forwrd battle areas, and at isolated outposfs," General Blamey's letter read in part. According to Mr. Ackland close to 212,000,000 feet of film, 35mm, constituting 19,104 programs, have been supplied free to the Australian forces by American companies from September, 1939, to September 30, 1944. All this was in addition to the regular weekly supply of 3Smm pre-release films in New Zealand and New Guinea, and the 16mm gift films. The visits of Bob Hope and Jack Benny to Australia, in addition to their appearances for members of the armed forces, contributed greatly to an increased public interest in things American, Mr. Ackland said. American troops have been well received in Australia, he said. Conditions in the industry are not dissimilar to those in the U. S., Mr. Ackland said, with shortages and difficulties of distribution there as well as here. Australia, like the rest of the world, suffers from a raw stock shortage, all raw stock now being imported from the U. S. and Canada. Industry Service Expanded The industry's service to the public in Australia has not diminished, and it has been expanded in other directions by the contributions it has made to government departments and by its wholehearted support of the war effort generally, Mr. Ackland said. The high level of maintenance of theatrical equipment in the face of shortages has been amazing, and is attributable to the care taken to preserve it in good order, he added. Mr. Ackland carried with him, in addition to the expressions of gratitude by Australians, a message from the U. S. Special Services Organization, thanking the American industry for gift films and the assistance provided in Australia for the distribution of those films. Mr. Ackland, whose activities among the armed forces have taken him to many Pacific islands, left Australia October 20. He will stay in New York until the end of November, when he will leave for the coast to spend two weeks there before returning to Australia. Photo by Staff Photograph Keane Lauds U. S. Films as Australian Morale Builder Richard V. Keane, Australian Minister of Trade and Customs, last Friday in Hollywood praised American films as the best single agency in maintaining wartime morale "down under." Mr. Keane, who heads a six-week good will business mission to the United States, spoke at a luncheon of the Association of Motion Picture Producers, held at the Roosevelt Hotel. Mr. Keane controls motion picture import taxes, quotas and censorship, and is regarded as the key official of the industry in Australia. Y. Frank Freeman presided at the luncheon in place of Joseph M. Schenck, who had been scheduled to be host but was prevented from attending by a cold. Others present were : Charles W. Koerner, Cliff Work, Edgar J. Mannix, Allen Wilson, Jason Joy and Joseph I. Breen. Bergher Joins OWI for Overseas Assignment Michael Bergher former Puerto Rican manager for Columbia, this week joined the overseas film division of the Office of War Information to handle "a specific motion picture operation" in the Far East, the OWI announced. Mr. Bergher, prior to his assignment in Puerto Rico, was Columbia's manager for Japan for many years. He returned to the U. S. from Japan in 1941. Show Picture on Battle for Paris Pierre Blanchar, president of the Committee Liberation of the French Motion Picture Industr who arrived in this country several weeks ag was host in New York last Friday to newspapi and trade press representatives at a special screei ing of "Liberation of Paris." This was the fir) film made by the committee. An English commentary for the 30-minute pi ture has been prepared, written by Noel Cowai and spoken by Charles Boyer. Plans are beii made for the theatre distribution of this film War Activities Committee. During the week of fighting in the streets Paris when the Germans were getting ready leave before the Allies caught up with them, abo 30 French cameramen took shots of the actu battle. They were members of the Liberation coi mittee. The picture was edited and completed ai shown to Parisians within the week after th( city was liberated. Mo,nsieur Blanchar spoke t French commentary. ..; Scenes of the French people's organized resi ance against the Nazis, the German's last sta: in Paris, the work of the Free French forces a: their subsequent capture of collaborators and Gc man prisoners, are highlights. Cobian Returns to Cuba To Set 20th-Fox Deal Ramos Cobian, Puerto Rican circuit owner who also operates several theatres in partnership with Paramount, in Cuba, returned to Havana last week to work out final details of a deal he is closing with Twentieth Century-Fox for a supply of films for his Havana theatres. He will confer with Herbert White, Cuban manager for 20th-Fox. 3,127 Feature Deals Made by Paramount in One Week In the week ending November 10, a total 3,127 independent feature deals was made by t Paramount distribution department, according Charles M. Reagan, vice-president in charge distribution. This is 123 more than the pre ous high of 3,004 during the week ended Janua 30, 1943. Mr. Reagan claims that the first bio for 1944-45 is the fastest selling block since 1 inauguration o£ Decree selling four years agi A record total of 3,159 independent feature cc tracts were sold in five weeks on the first bloi against 2,628 on the first block of 1943-44 in 1 corresponding period. Another new high was established with 1,014 : dependent contracts received on the second block 1944-45 pictures, the highest total for any block! an initial week of selling. ' 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 18, K